problem solving

Explanation of the different elements

The idea behind this constellation is that you have developed a certain way of reacting to pressure, stress, crisis, etc. This has served you in the past (when you were a child), but is not the most helpful way to deal with it now. You will have to find another way, another (internal) route to deal with this. This requires facing something or someone and to break out of the old pattern. The different elements are:

• I: This is the sheet of paper representing yourself
• COVID crisis: this includes everything that the COVID pandemic is causing and that is affecting you
• Escape route: this is representing your familiar pattern of reacting to a crisis like this. It is representing the escape route you have developed during your childhood. This is like an autopilot, making you react in the same way over and over again.
• What you have to face: this represents your way out. It it is the key to changing your reaction to this crisis. It represents something or someone that you have to face in order to be able to transform and find another reaction the crisis.
• Resource: this is a resource that you can use to face what you have to face and find a way out of this crisis.

Follow these steps

1. Write the following words, each on one sheet of paper. You just write down these exact words. You don’t have to think about what it is. That is what you are going to explore in the constellation:
   1. I
   2. COVID crisis
   3. Escape Route
   4. What you have to face
   5. Resource
2. Place the sheets intuitively on the floor, also paying attention of the direction it is facing (imagine you are placing people).
3. Step on the piece of paper representing yourself. Sense how it is here. What do you sense in your body, your emotions, what thoughts come up and what is the vibe, the energy here? Hoe do you relate to the other elements (again imagine people standing on the pieces of paper).
   Sense if your feet want to move. If so, move the sheet of paper to the place where your feet take you.
   Again sense how it is now and how you relate to the other elements.
4. Step of this sheet of paper, shake a little, turn around, and stamp your feet. This helps you to get out of the energy of this representation.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for every sheet, representing an element.
6. End on the sheet of paper representing yourself. Sense how it is there now, after you have gotten all the information from the different positions and after some of the elements have moved.

Some extra remarks

• If you have someone to do this constellation with, the other person can step on another piece of paper. This way you can look that element in the eye, see the body posture, and feel the energy a bit stronger. You can ask the other person to switch places. This way you can experience different relationships in the constellation.
• You can say some, what we call, healing sentences. To do this, stand on your own piece of paper:
  • Look at the Escape Route and say: “You are a part of me. Thanks for what you have done for me. I am going to do it differently now. It is safe enough to do so.
  • Look at the COVID crisis and say: “I see you. You are part of my world now. This is how it is.”
  • Look at that what you have to face and say: “I see you. I feel … when I look at you (name your emotion). I am ready!”
  • Look at the resource and say: “I see you. Thanks for being here for me”
• The order in which you explore the different elements doesn’t matter. Let your intuition guide you here. What piece of paper attracts you, which one is ‘calling you’?
• Pay attention to your breathing. We tend to hold our breaths when we are tense. Remind yourself to breathe in and breathe out.